Lovely Monster
by Cervella
Summary: AU – My life was a pile of crap until I saved a fortune-teller who offered me a job in a cursed house. Thanks to her, I have to play nanny for a sexy werewolf, a grumpy mummy, a stripping zombie and a dense vampire. All in all, my life just got worse or did it really?
1. Runaway Daddy

**LOVELY MONSTER**

Welcome dear readers to my new NaLu story :) Before you start, I have to give credit to two things that inspired me to write this. First there is the awesome show called Kamisama Hajimemashita, secondly David Safiers book called Happy Family. I hope you'll enjoy this story as much as I do writing it.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything. This applies to the whole following story :D

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**Chapter 1 : Runaway Daddy**

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The bored brunette at the cash register chewed on her pink bubblegum and rolled it up on one of her fingers. I tried to suppress my disgust and concentrated on packing my plastic shopping bag. The better word would be 'stuffing' since the bread alone filled half of the bag and I couldn't afford a second.

Yes, my family wasn't the richest and yes, it was bitter that I couldn't even afford a second bag, but that was only because I tried to be thrifty. Quite the reverse to my dad who threw his money out of the window for alcohol and casino visits. That old jerk.

If mom would still be alive, she might have thrown him out on the streets or would call the divorce lawyer...or that's how I would have liked it. Because she wasn't like me. Presumably, she would have even managed to convince dad to quit the binge-drinking and go to work.

I sighed at the memory. Not a day passed that I did not miss her. Without mom, my family was no longer existing, we were just two strangers in the same tiny apartment.

Cold November air blew in my face and red leaves were dancing on the street. What a beautiful season... Walking along the deserted streets with music in my ears was always the best; especially because it made me forget the world around me.

No annoying neighbors, no stupid dad, no money problems, no dead mother, no bullies or any other people. Only Hayley Williams and some rapper singing about airplanes and shooting stars. I could so use a free wish as well. Just what should I wish for?

I've always wanted to have a dog. They are loyal ... not like my idiotic ex-boyfriend whom I'd love to accidentally shove off a cliff. You heard that Eucliffe? The concept conjured a smile on my lips. Someday, I'll hopefully find someone better than Sting Eucliffe.

So I decided, if I had a wish, I would like to find my one true love.

Finally, I arrived at my block and made my way to the old, rickety elevator which glowing button was pressed by my elbow. Clattering, it arrived and I forced myself plus bags into the tiny space. Then two men in pin-striped suits entered as well and I wondered who they were since they didn't look like residents. In their white hands were black, mysterious cases.

The situation got even stranger when they exited on the same floor. It started to creep me out. I looked at them weirdly and slightly intimidated, but they ignored me and went straight for one of the apartment doors. What the hell? That was my door.

Cautiously and with a bad foreboding feeling, I approached the black duo. The silver keys in my hand collided with each other and jangled, making me mutter some curses because their attention shifted to me.

„By any chance ... are you Miss Heartfilia?" asked the bigger man with a serious face and looked down to me.

"Why do you want to know?" I tried to stay calm, but internally I suffered from a panic attack. What if my idiotic father borrowed money from a mafia psycho again? I was too young to die.

"We are officials from the court and were requested by the housekeeper to visit." The mustache man looked through his glasses with a sad face and gave me his business card. I took it and regrettably - even after a long inspection - it didn't look forged. A court executor. No mafia. "We are looking for someone named Lucy Heartfilia. Do you know her?"

"That's me," I replied, now convinced that I wouldn't die in a few minutes. Should I be happy? No, because court executors were just as cruel. "What's the problem, sir?"

"I'm sorry to tell you, but since your father, Jude Heartfilia, didn't have a fixed income for years we have to resort to certain measures. His debt is about 150.000 Jewel, but don't worry since you're underage you won't have to pay that off."

My jaw dropped to the ground; I must have looked stupid.

"In other words, your apartment will be auctioned and all useful things in there," grumbled the short man as if the matter was painless. For me it was anything but painless. All I could do was to stare the second guy with my mouth hanging open. "Your most treasured things should be packed till evening at the latest."

"Are you serious?" My voice trembled and I was close to tears. "I always thought they only do that when you die..."

"I'm sorry, honestly." The standard statement. He yawned behind his hand while reaching into his bag for semi-important documents, tapping his foot on the ugly linoleum floor impatiently. I had not expected honest sympathy anyway nor did I want it.

"Does my father know about this?" I raised an eyebrow, suspecting that he already knew about this, but ignored it like he does with every problem. Great, I'll have to drag him out of a bar later. The worried glance that the executors exchanged only confirmed my suspicion and one of them got a piece of paper from his case.

"Oh, I almost forgot it. Your father left a letter for you. "

"Left? What's that supposed to mean?"

With trembling hands I unfolded the little scrap that I could hardly call a letter and read.

Lucy,

When you read this I'm already abroad.

Don't search for me.

Cheer up!

Dad

That was it. No _'I'm so sorry my angel'_ or _'I'll be back soon'_. It was just a simple _'cheer up'_. Cheer up?! Was my dad insane? Then the tears came and I couldn't stop my sobbing. He couldn't let his seventeen-year-old daughter take care of his crap and just leave her alone to live in the streets.

Newsflash. He could.

That's how I ended up in this crisis. November was suddenly not such a cool season anymore, because at night it's in fact damn cold and I was shaking all over, so I wrapped my cozy scarf tighter around my neck. My new provisional home was a park and it wouldn't be half bad, if it wasn't dark and creepy. Good thing a flickering lantern gave me light. Inwardly, I cursed my father. How he could just run away?

"It can't get worse, right?" Was my pitiful attempt to cheer myself up. And lucky me, it started to drizzle. I thought that only happened in those cliché movies.

I looked at my brown leather satchel which was all that I had left. A few clothes, basic hygiene products, a scrapbook, my IPod and the textbooks for school. Awesome. My new live as bum couldn't start any better.

Rather than continuing to excite myself about my new life, I watched the fireflies that played a peaceful round of tag. If I had one wish for free now, I would want to be one of them. Without sorrow or loneliness.

A small puddle to my feet caught my attention and I inspected my appearance critically. My long blond hair looked disheveled and a few stray strands painted shadows on my pale face. While managing a half-smile I brushed them out of my face and watched how the chocolate-brown eyes of my mirror image followed every movement of my fingers.

Closing my eyes, I thought about what I should do with my life.

"Help me!"

I opened my eyes abruptly. That was a woman's voice, certainly, I just did not know where it came from. Suspiciously, I peered through the thicket. Had I just imagined it?

"Help me! Please! Somebody!"

To the left. I didn't knew what was going on, but I couldn't pretend like I didn't hear it either. So I ran through the trees, pushing away my worries about safety and Magnolia's criminal quota.

After a few steps I saw a figure crouched against a tree. She looked at me with a helpless expression. For a moment I was fascinated by the depth of her green eyes, but tore my head around to find the potential danger.

"The monster is over there, please help me." Panicked, she pointed at something a few inches away from her feet. I moved closer to take a look at it and had to pull myself together so I wouldn't laugh or puke. It was a red spider, not very big, but not small either.

"Please, I can't stand those beasts! Just make it go away."

"Shooo!Come on, move it." I grabbed a stick and tried to stab the spider without killing it. The beast did not particularly like that, but it went back to its web.

"Oh, you don't know how grateful I am," the woman said hoarsely when we arrived at 'my bench'. She was a little weird with her bright red hair, the round rimless glasses and even the hippie clothes, but radiated an aura which I hadn't felt before. Also, I had the feeling that her sharp eyes saw right through me, directly into my soul and that made me a little nervous.

"Arachnophobia?"

"Yes, for decades..." she sighed. Decades? She didn't look that old ... maybe close to thirty? "Oh! I'm so rude, my name is Esmeralda. And your name?"

"I'm Lucy, nice to meet you," I replied smiling and reached my hand out to shake hers. To my shock and surprise, she took it swiftly and turned it around so that my palm was facing up. Esmeralda looked at my hand with a thoughtful gaze and stroked the thin lines on the surface.

"Hey, what are you doing?" I tried to free my hand from her iron grip, but to no avail.

"Your hand is very warm and soft...that's a good sign. The heart line is also very developed, maybe you're the right one..." she mumbled mysteriously.

"Um...sorry, but I'm not a lesbian."

"I'm a fortune-teller and reading from peoples' hands is one of my talents, so shut up and let me do my work."

"That's just mambo jambo."

"There is more to it then it seems at first glance." Grumpily, she finally let go of my hand and looked at me reproachfully. "What are you doing here alone and at this hour? It's dangerous for a young lady like you."

And so I found myself in the weird situation to tell a completely strange – and probably mental – woman my story. Still, it was nice to pour my heart out to someone. When I finished talking, Esmeralda looked at me with tears dwelling up in her lemon eyes.

"You poor, poor child. Surely, you must hate your father now, don't you?"

Hate? Sure, I'm not the biggest fan of my dad and still, the thought of hating him felt like someone stabbed my heart. Even with all his flaws...he was my dad and the man my mom loved once. Moreover, I made nice memories with him, too.

"He's a damn idiot and seriously, he'd win the award for worst dad of the century..." I stopped for a moment, a dreamy smile crept on my lips and Esmeralda looked up in surprise. "...but deep down – you'd really have to dig deep – he is a good person."

"You forgive him?"

"Never ever!" I pumped my fist in the air, suddenly full with energy from my internal rage. "If that old man ever shows his face again, he'll get a piece of my mind and that won't be pretty!"

Esmeralda grinned mischievously before she started to laugh out loud. "Oh dear, now I really pity him. Do you have a plan about what you're gonna do from now on?"

"Ehh..." Shit. That was the first moment it became clear to me that I had a real problem. Where should I go? I didn't have a home, no family and no friends who could help me. Resigned and without an idea, I sunk back on the park bench. I coughed nervously, "Parks are nice in winter, aren't they?"

Esmeralda shook her head and raised an eyebrow. "I have an idea and I think you'd like it. At least … it could be transitional solution and you can always quit if it gets too much for you." She grabbed a yellowed paper from her pocket and handled it to me.

Confused, I stared at the job ad and started to read.

We are looking for a house maid.

Darkwood Ally 13, North Magnolia

With Regards: Mr. Fullbuster, Mr. Leo, Mr. Redfox and Mr. Dragneel

I looked at the small advertisement and brooded. It was a good idea in general, since I could earn some money and have a refuge. Nevertheless, it was missing a few details and I was not so sure if I should just run into an unknown house full of strangers. It was irresponsible, but I had no other option.

"I'll try it out … it can't be worse than living in a deserted park." My relieved laughter echoed through the night. Seriously, being a maid was as boring and stupid as watching the grass grow on stone plates, but it was a start.

"Oh I could imagine things..." Esmeralda replied cryptically and swung her legs back and forth while I watched her with a skeptical face. That woman seemed to love to talk in riddles. "Would you give me your hand one more time?"

Hesitantly, I gave her my hand and wondered what she was up to. Probably talk some rubbish about my future or what fortune tellers do … Esmeralda put a pentagonal pendant on my palm and for I moment, I could swear that it was glowing, but my eyes were tired so I was probably mistaken. My skin started to tingle and I closed my eyes.

"This will protect you. When you arrive at the house, just tell the crazy bunch I send you and they'll understand. Good luck on your way, Lucy."

I took a deep breath and was about to ask what she meant by that, but as soon as I opened my eyes, she was gone. As if the earth swallowed her. Confused, I looked around, but there was really no trace of the woman.

The paper rustled between my fingers and reminded me that I still had something to do. So I made my way to Darkwood Ally and a certain group of men, wondering how they'd be like.

Maybe my wish will get granted...

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**This is an epic attempt to hypnotize you :D Look at the box below. Find your inner calmness. Your fingers start to itch. They just have to type letters. You'll hop around like a kangaroo if you don't...**

**Review. Review. Review. Review. Review. Review.**


	2. Cursed House

**Thanks for the reviews people :D It's been a long time since I updated so fast. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter 2 : Cursed Villa**

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The description on the back of the page was simple. One bus line went from South Magnolia to North Magnolia and I had to exit at the last stop. At the beginning it was stuffed with people, but after a while it got very empty until I was alone.

Outside, the forest rushed past the fogged windows and only a few times I got a glimpse of the muted light from the silver moon. Was there really a stop in the forest?

The meandering gravel path led me to a solid iron door which tried to hide a modern looking house. I almost expected chainlink fence; they didn't seem to like guests . There were many rose bushes in the garden and one big pool.

Gathering my last ounces of courage, I pressed the bell next to the speaker. A surveillance camera zoomed in on me.

"How can I help you, ma'am?" asked a rough but friendly, male voice through the speaker.

"Um, my name is Lucy Heartfilia and I'm here to apply for the job as house maid?" That sounded more like a question than a sentence. "Is it still available? Can I come in?"

"Geez, you couldn't have come later?" the voice nagged sarcastically. It must already be past two am, so yeah I was kinda late. Shortly after that, I heard a buzz and the gate opened. I approached the front door through the yard; a shiver ran over my whole body and I had the feeling that I was being watched.

"Come inside, Lucy." A man with pitch black hair stood on the porch, he had deep dark circles and looked a bit...done in. But his broad grin as if he ate a ton of chocolate made up for it. His black jeans looked like he just put them over his boxers since he held them awkwardly, so that the buttons wouldn't open. Moreover, that he was topless left me speechless for more than a second. "I'm Gray, nice to meet you and welcome to our house. Are you from around?"

"Um … likewise and ... no, I don't live in the forest which is what's 'around', but I'm from Magnolia," I replied confused, but somehow I already liked the guy. Not because he was topless, but because he was friendly!

He rolled his eyes and laughed. "Of course, I meant the city duh. You're right though, the forest is pretty much all that's around our house."

"Not fond of other people?" I raised an eyebrow, attempting to get more information on why he wanted to live so secluded. He laughed. "You've got it wrong, it's the other way around..."

"Huh?"

"Let me out of here, you monster! Ugly scum! Help me. Let me out!" A woman in her mid thirties who wore a maid suit ran towards the open door with panic written all over her face. Sweat dripped from her face and her eyes looked at every direction, but she managed to reach the door and continued her sprint as if the devil was behind her. "Never again! I'm free."

"Who was that?" For one moment, I just stared were the woman had been and looked at Gray with questions burning on my tongue. "What was her problem?"

"Your predecessor..." Gray shrugged and grabbed my arm to lead me into the house. "Don't worry, the hag was a bit senile."

"Ah." Was my brilliant reply. Early Alzheimer was supposed to exist...or that's what I told myself so that I wouldn't panic. Was there a reason to?

The gigantic entrance hall was fancy with its black marble floor and the gold vases with plants. Who ever lived here, must have a lot of money on their bank account. Gray couldn't be older than myself, so it had to be someone else. A small, illuminated fountain bubbled happily while the path next to it went up to a staircase which gave access to the upper floors.

"Wow." My breath hitched in my throat and I twirled around. "What are your parents doing? Are they kings or royals or lottery winners? Where are they anyway?"

"You have a lot of questions." Gray's laugh echoed through the hall. "Nope, they live somewhere else and I don't know what they do. We live completely alone."

"Who includes 'we' anyway?"

"My friends Gajeel, Loke and Natsu. We have lived in this house for about a year and you probably know that male household does not work out well. Seriously, we're hopeless and need help!" Gray touched my shoulder and looked kinda down when he said that. I could only imagine four boys living together for a year...I shuddered.

"I'll do my best." In my mind, I imagined how the gang must look like or if I maybe know some from my school since we're all in the same age according to Gray. Moreover, I was secretly happy I wasn't the only person on the planet whom's parents sucked. "But don't I have to go though a test or at least have a contract?"

"That's Natsu's decision since his parents own the house, but he will surely let you work here," he answered, trying to make me feel better and it worked. "Although we might be the one's who creeped all the housemaid's away, I have a good feeling when I look at you. It's like we're already friends, ya know?"

"Same here, Gray." Seriously, I felt as if I had known him for years and got the impression that he was an honest type of guy. Cold on the outside, warm on the inside. I always trust my instincts. We smiled at each other.

"Hey, Fullbuster! Who is the girl over there?" asked someone with a rough but still smooth voice behind us. A shiver ran down my spine when I turned around.

The first thing I saw were stormy grey eyes, but more like charcoal mixed with smoke. My breath hitched. Directly in front of me stood an unbelievably gorgeous man with salmon hair who could easily put every hollywood actor to shame. He simply looked like an angel and I had to remind my brain several times that it's still alive. He had very pale skin and dark circles beneath his eyes as if he hadn't slept for a month.

"Yo Dragneel, that's Lucy," Gray grumbled annoyed and pointed at me. "She will be our new maid...I guess."

"Jeez stripper, I need a break, Luigi doesn't even look like a maid. I don't think she'll be fit for the job and she's too young for a proper maid anyway. She's a weirdo!" Okay, I take everything back. Mr. Dragneel may look stunning, but as soon as he opens his mouth only crap comes out. Sad thing actually.

"Firstly, my name is Lucy and it's rude to talk about me while I stand next to you, idiot. Secondly, we are the same age and I'm not a weirdo!" I replied angrily and crossed my arms over my chest, "Thirdly, the job doesn't seem to be liked since you always creep your maids out."

"...and apparently Luigi talks a lot," he moaned and rubbed his temple. "I don't think we should hire her."

"Come on, Natsu." Gray encouraged him and I saw my imaginary bubble of hope pop. What should I do, if I didn't get the job? I was homeless, money less and parent less. Depression medicine, please? Like an omen from heaven, I remembered Esmeralda's words. It was now or never.

"Actually, a woman named Esmeralda said that I could work here," I mumbled, hoping that the fortune-teller didn't pull a prank on me. "She was the one who gave me the address, but if you don't want me to work here I understand."

Silence. Natsu and Gray looked at each other flabbergasted. Did I say something wrong?

"Do you mean Esmeralda the fortune-teller?" Natsu took my shoulders and shook my whole body. Well, it was the first time he addressed me personally though. Shaking her up, way to charm a lady. "The woman wearing hippie stuff? And a weird pendant? Who is totally afraid of spiders?"

"Red hair, weird glasses and lime green eyes?" Gray's head popped up behind the pink idiots shoulder, disbelief evident in his face, too.

"Yup, that's her!" I confirmed, wondering what the excitement was all about. "Hey Pinky, would you stop shaking me?"

"What did ya just call me?" Natsu stopped shaking me and looked puzzled, but decided to ignore my insult for the moment. Then he grinned like a kid who sat in front of his christmas present and asked, "Are you a monster as well?"

"Ehhh? Say what?" It was way past two am, my ears must be malfunctioning. That stupid music player is ruining my ears aswell, I should at least reduce the volume from time to time. Gray looked at Natsu and then back at me. I smiled at both of them as if nothing happened at all and waited for them to say something. Anything. Come on, guys.

"Well, how should I put this without scaring you off … ," the black-haired man started and looked a little helpless to the pink idiot who just shrugged. "Natsu, Loke, Gajeel and I are monsters. Loke is a werewolf, Gajeel is a mummy, I'm a zombie and Natsu is a vampire."

"Something must be wrong with my ears today. Could you repeat that?" I laughed nervously while trying to consider the possibility that my hearing was perfectly fine and what he said was true. And if this craziness was reality, I must have fallen in to a parallel world like Alice in Wonderland. Who'd believe fairy tales like this in our age? Seriously, they thought I was just a little girl whom they could scare of, but I'm Lucy Heartfilia. I'm scared of nothing.

"I'm a zombie," Gray stated and I had to laugh hysterically. "Don't laugh. See? I can pull my arm off."

In an instant, he pulled his arm off in and waved it at me.

Suddenly, my vision turned black. What a nice ending for the worst day of my life. Death seemed like a good option. Maybe everything was dream or I hallucinated or that witch Esmeralda drugged me.

Certainly, I will wake up in my own bed in a few seconds with my dad there. And my old life back.

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**Blablablabla...how'd you like it so far? I know it's short, but it was originally part of the first chapter :) Zombies are cool, aren't they? Give a review if you like 'em too :D**


	3. Don't eat me!

**Yoooo! How are you doing? :D No, I didn't abandon this story nor any of my other stories. It's just really hard to update since I'm in my last months of school right now. Final Exams! But I have some freetime right now, so I'll update as soon as I can :) Thanks for the support guys :D**

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**Chapter 3: Don't eat me!**

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Everything was black. It felt like a dream, one of those where you float around, not knowing what happened, but worrying about a headache when you wake up. My body felt weightless as my dream progressed and it was as if I spent an eternity in the boring blank space. At least it was peaceful and I was alone.

"Look what you've done, stripper."

Or not. Who was that? Somewhere in the back of my mind that annoyed voice sounded familiar. If I could just wake up. Damn it. But I couldn't even feel my body or move a single muscle.

"Hey! Are you saying this is my fault, _eating machine_? It was probably your smell that made her black out."

Maybe I was dead and those two were the culprits. Wouldn't that mean I'm a ghost now? How did I get into such a situation? Ah, maybe the mafia dudes from yesterday. Relief flooded through my body since some feeling returned to my stiff body and I wondered how I could get out of this. As far as I remember I'm in the house of my new job. Then the two people must be her bosses.

"You got a problem, rotten meat? If someone stinks, it's you. Seriously, I think you shouldn't have pulled your arm off like that. It looks kinda creepy."

"That comes from the guy with freaky pink hair and fangs, huh. You practically jumped at her and scared her half to death, idiot."

Their names were Gray … and Natsu. Hearing those two insult each other brought back my last memories along with my other senses. Not that I was glad about that, because the first thing I felt was a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach which told me to get the hell out of the villa. As if testing cold waters, I moved my index finger one inch. Mission complete. I can move my body.

"Hey man, I think our little princess is waking up. It's about time tough...she slept a whole night away," Natsu exclaimed in a weird tone she didn't knew of him yet, but it made her curious. Yesterday, our first meeting started off badly and he had been rude, but now he almost sounded...

"Do I detect worry in your voice, bro?" Gray snickered and I felt a weight settle on my bed. A cold feeling ran down my spine when my body became aware of his presence. I shouldn't worry though, I had been very tired last night and probably dreamed half of the crazy stuff they told me. Gray being a zombie? Psh, yeah right.

I opened my eyes slowly and was blinded by the bright light from the window. Groaning, I turned to where my new masters stood and met two pairs of curious eyes.

"Good morning, Lucy. Slept well?" Gray asked politely, but even in the short time I have known him, I could detect cautiousness in his voice. Glancing down at his arm, I was relieved that it was still attached to his body. So it was all just a dream.

"Wow, I had the weirdest dream in my whole life," I giggled loudly and sat up. " I met a crazy fortune-teller, who told me to get to this place. When I came to you, an old woman was fleeing from your villa. Then you told me that your friends are a werewolf and a mummy. Moreover, the idiot over there is a vampire and you said that you're a zombie; pulling your arm off like it was nothing. Jeez, I'm so sorry for falling asleep like that. I tend to have weird dreams once in a while. Maybe I should lay off the horror novels..."

"For someone so smart, she's quite slow," Natsu commented dryly and I felt like punching his face. Just as I had established yesterday, he looks good but as soon as he opens his mouth, it's all ruined. That boy just knew exactly what to say to get me to blow up, it was as if he was getting a kick out of it. I threw him my scariest glare.

Gray sighed and shook his head. "That wasn't a dream. We're really monsters and I'm a real zombie."

Even the second time, it was a real shell-shocker.

"B-but y-your arm..."

"A few stitches and it's all new," he grinned proudly and showed me his shoulder. Indeed, there were fresh, neat bandages. Now that he mentioned it ... the pale skin, the dark circles, blood-shot eyes and the disheveled looks. The perfect image of a zombie. Oh boy, this is bad. Curse Esmeralda for bringing me here. What am I supposed to do now?

I wasn't some blonde babe in the woods, so I knew exactly how to deal with zombies. Obviously, some kind of toxic liquid or gas had been released accidentally or someone ate a viral infected burger. You know how it goes.

And that must have brought the dead back to life. Many nights watching eerie zombie movies payed off. I knew Armageddon when it was standing right next to me in a fancy nursery room with flower arrangements.

Conventional weapons wouldn't work against him and seducing was out of the question. So was the convenient baseball bat on one of the shelves. You cannot hit a zombie, they are already dead! The only solution was to shoot them in the head. That, and then run the hell away.

Unfortunately, I didn't pack a gun nor had I ever taken martial art lessons. Now was the time to envy those kids who grew up in a dojo. My life was so messed up in comparison to theirs.

"You think she's alright?" Gray turned to Natsu.

"Dunno, she hit her had real bad when she fell."

"Um, Lucy, are you still with us? Stop spacing out. Hello? Earth to Lucy."

"Come on, snap out of it weirdo." Natsu stepped forward and was about to poke my cheek to test if I was still in there. Before he could lay a finger on me though, I did the only thing that occurred right to me at that time...I formed a cross with my index fingers. Vampires don't like _holy_ crosses. My cross was not holy nor was it wooden, but it was worth a try.

Natsu stared at me dumbfounded, before bursting into a fit of laughter. It was the first time that I heard him laugh and I couldn't deny that it suited him well. Not only well...it lit his whole appearance up and he seemed like a different person.

Nevertheless, embarrassment colored my cheeks red which was probably a bad thing to do in the presence of a vampire. Not that I could help it!

"Don't be scared, we're nice monsters ... most of the time" Gray tried to soothe me and winked. "We're actually normal people who just had bad luck. We figured out ways to survive without killing people. Sometimes one or the other dies but that rarely happens, so don't worry."

"Long story short, you still eat people?!"

"Yup!" Natsu grinned happily and showed me a thumbs up. That's not a thing someone should be happy about. "Their blood is delicious. Animal blood makes me wanna puke, I just can't digest it."

"..."

"What?"

"..."

"Oh, no I usually don't eat people who work for me. Don't worry." Natsu flashed me another grin, but it had a dangerous after taste.

"..."

"What else? Gray? Is Luigi really okay?"

"Don't mind me. So how did you become … you know... like this?" I formed the question carefully, trying to avoid the word 'monster', 'zombie' or 'vampire', mainly to insure that I didn't go insane.

"Someone cursed us to become like this about a year ago. It wasn't just someone, it was that stupid fortune-teller you met and we haven't seen her ever since," Gray answered for him. I almost forgot that he was in the room with us. Strange... "That's why I was so surprised that you mentioned her. We haven't figured out a way to lift the curse yet and if we don't find it soon, we're gonna stay like this forever. It's because we..."

"Hey, we should let her rest for now since she has a long day of work tomorrow. Let's go and settle our fight, rotten meat." Natsu interrupted and they hurried out of the room before I could even blink.

Forever. That's a long time. A sad time if they stay isolated. But can I really pity monsters who feed on people? Maybe I'll be one of those people...Moreover, he left out the reason as to _why_ they were changed into monsters. Although she was strange, Esmeralda seemed like a nice person who wouldn't do something like that without a reason. That sly vampire, the next time I will either find a way out of this place or get answers from him.

Guess I have to work and try my best!

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**Done! :D I know it's very slow-paced, but please bear with me. Next time other characters will be introduced. Don't worry, I'm not fond of Twilight at all...the books are actually very good, but the movies suck. Sorry to fans, but that's just my opinion :P Vampires, Zombies and other monsters are supposed to kill people, so they will do that in my story as well.**

**Bye and leave a review or Gray will throw his arm at you ;)**


	4. Rubbish Mountain

**Hey guys :D Thanks for waiting and reviewing. You're the best! I hope this lives up to your expectations since I'm just introducing new characters :D Enjooooy**

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**Chapter 4: Rubbish Mountain**

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If you ask me, there are three groups of people when it comes to cleanliness and order. For one the super-clean group, then the group of terribly chaotic couch-potatoes and finally, the smart group who tries to hide their mess in their closet or beneath their bed. All their crap stays there for ages, piles up and gathers dust. Not to mention that you'd better not open a closet belonging to such a person. Getting struck by a pile of clothes is not the most beautiful way to die. I can already see the headline.

Lucky me, my new bosses belong to that terrifying last group. Which made Natsu's description 'long day of work' the understatement of the year.

The entrance hall looked so clean that you could eat from the ground which is something I could not say for the rest of the house.

Cleaning the kitchen took ages with all those empty pizza boxes and piling trash. Not to mention the fringe which scared me the most. It was the perfect home for mold fungi and any other sorts of poisonous mushrooms. I would have to buy fresh food later, or I'd die from food poisoning before anything else. The living room looked like someone dropped a bomb and I could swear a monster lived in the bathroom.

I had to fight my way through mountains of rubbish, but that was what I expected from a household organized by a group of boys.

Strangely, I haven't seen anyone while I was doing my work.

Well as far as I knew, Gray was out to take care of some business and wouldn't return for the next two days. Natsu was nocturnal and spend the whole day napping in his room which I was not allowed to enter, under no circumstances. Geez, telling me that only makes me more curious. The last time I've seen him was when he proudly presented me my working uniform, a sly grin ever present on his face.

He really ticked me off.

Blushing furiously for the nth time that day, I tugged at the white hem of my maid-outfit. I hadn't expected it to be so short, it barely covered my breast and didn't even reach my knees. Before I could start to clean I always had to check that nobody could see my panties. It must have been on purpose since the old lady that ran away wore a normal ankle dress. Stupid perverts!

My gaze wandered to one of the grand windows of the hallway. Wafts of mist covered the already frozen meadow and settled in the surrounding, leafless trees of the forest. It must be dinnertime soon. My melancholic reflection was mirrored by the glass. I always used to eat together with dad. Where was he right now? Did he miss me? Probably not. He must be in some distant city and spending his whole money on gambling.

Lethargically, I dragged my cleaning equipment to the next door. Next stop: the great dining hall. Suppressing the nervous feeling in my gut, a habit I developed ever since I've been in this crazy house, I reached for the door knob. They said they eat humans...so for what purpose is the dining hall? Do I really want to know? Maybe they had a pile of corpses?

Taking a deep breath, I prepared myself for the worst and reached for the doorknob. A bandaged hand intercepted mine and I froze. A mummy. Don't yell, Lucy, stay calm it's just a mummy. I wouldn't have thought that a day ago.

"You shouldn't go in there, maid girl."

Behind dark black bangs, fiery red eyes glared holes into my skull. Parts of his body were wrapped in dirty bandages as if he'd been hospitalized for ages, the only neat thing was his purple headband with a zigzag pattern. His pale mouth formed an angry scowl that reminded me of when I met Natsu for the first time. Moreover, his body was covered with metal piercings that reminded me of Frankenstein's monster.

It's not that I thought he was evil, but he had an aura around him which made people keep their distance. Safety reasons probably.

"Er...Hi?" I laughed awkwardly and freed my hand from his iron grasp. How should I start a conversation with someone as scary as him. "Haven't seen you here before. My name is Lucy Heartfilia, but you can call me Lucy. Nice to meet you?"

Silence. He seemed like a man of few words. Oh dear, I did what I always do when I get nervous: talking nonsense. Judging from the way his eyebrows furrowed, I failed to make an impression.

"I'm Gajeel Redfox, little maid girl, but you can call me master." My irritation almost made me stagger. Was there one person in this house who wasn't arrogant? Or gaining pleasure from bullying servants? Where they all sadists? I swear the next time he calls me 'maid girl' he's gonna get a real spanking. I hate nicknames and why is everybody in this house so bad at remembering my name? Natsu called me Luigi on several occasions.

Out of the blue, he grunted and I jumped back a bit.

"Oh, is our new little maid girl scared? You've got enough reason to since you're living with monsters. Who knows, maybe I'll eat you when you turn your back to me. So be a nice maid girl and bring me a glass of water. Gehee."

Gajeel seemed to misinterpret my trembling for fear. It made me even angrier and his stupid sounding laugh didn't help.

"Of course, master, your wish is my command." A broad smile settled on my face, covering up the raging feelings inside me. Remembering that the cleaning equipment was right behind me, I grabbed the long mob which was soaked in water and dumped it in his face. I pushed the thing even harder into his annoying face and earned some muffled protests. "How does your water taste, master? I know how much you like the dust flavor. You're lucky I haven't been cleaning the toilet yet, master. What else do you wish for?"

A cracking sound made me flinch. In front of me, the innocent mob lay smashed into tiny pieces. Oh crap, I made him angry.

"Gehee, so you're a lively one, huh? That makes breaking you more enjoyable. Humans are so weak. Look at you, right now, you can't even move because you're frozen with fear." He was right. If I wouldn't have been so terrified by the evil grin on his face, I'd have made a run for it. Still, his eyes almost looked sad when he said last part.

"You've become such a grumpy man, Gajeel, I wonder where all that fighting spirit went..." An exasperated voice spoke from directly behind me. "You can't treat such a beautiful princess like that. And considering that she knows Esmeralda, it's even more important to keep her alive. Am I right, my princess?"

Suddenly, my body was lifted from the ground and I found myself in the arms of a man in an elegant suit. He was as handsome as a prince, his most striking feature being long orange spikes that resembled animal ears. A pair of blue glasses covered twinkling hazel eyes and his lips cracked a polite smile that could make any girl swoon in no time. A real gentleman who'd easily fit in the category of boyfriend material, maybe he was the only decent person in this house full of psychiatry cases. I bet would even belong to the super-clean group of people.

"My name is Loke, the dream of every lady. Don't worry, Lucy, the smelly mummy just never learned how to deal with a real lady. I apologize if he might have offended you." His gentle voice was like balm to my soul and I could melt from the caring way he gazed at me. He took my hand and kissed it. So my hope wasn't lost.

That was until...

Gajeel crossed his arms. "Says the guy who spied on her all day and got a nosebleed as soon as her panties were showing. Yeah, sorry, you're the lady killer. And who's smelly, stinkin' wolf!?"

...Loke's hand groped my butt.

"Pervert!"

All the power I possessed, I put it into that one slap. From the angry red mark my hand left, I could tell that it must hurt. Even if he was a werewolf and probably ten times stronger than a human. Loke looked at me with puppy dog eyes and crept closer again, his oh-so-caring eyes roaming my chest area. No matter how sexy or gorgeous he looked, this was too much. Such a playboy. Warningly, I raised my hand again and promised myself to kick him somewhere else next time he would try something.

"Don't be like that, Lucy. It was an accident, I'm sorry." Loke gave me a charming smile that I didn't like, so I just narrowed my eyes. It will take time until I forgive him.

Meanwhile, Gajeel was laughing his ass off.

Seething with anger about the humiliation, I assumed it was best to return to my room – they haven't given me one yet so I'm currently staying in the nursery – and lock myself in for the rest of the day. After a while of celebrating my self-pity-party, I started to think some stuff over. Even being a jerk and all that, Gajeel successfully prevented me from entering the dining hall and diverted my attention elsewhere. Was there something I wasn't supposed to see? It can't be that they...eat...people...in that room. A shiver ran down my spine, so I wrapped a warm blanket around my body. There is so much that I don't know. I've never felt more out of place.

Not even with my dad. At least I don't have to live on the street.

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**Weird and gloomy ending for this chapter, I know. Sooo, I'm curious. What group do you belong to? Cleaning person, chaos person or hiding person :D Tell me in a review, please :D**


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